Canisius cross country announces 2018 schedule

CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICSBUFFALO, N.Y. -- Canisius cross country/track head coach Nate Huckleannounced Thursday that both the Golden Griffin men's and women's cross country programs will officially start the 2018 season Sept. 1 when the teams take part in the 50th annual Little Three Championship in Olean, N.Y.The Little Three will be the first of five events for the Blue and Gold before the teams travel to take part in the 2018 MAAC Cross Country Championships in Loudonville, N.Y. The Canisius men's team has won 12-straight Little Three team titles, while the women's program has won the annual race against its rivals Niagara and St. Bonaventure in each of the last four years.After the Little Three race, Canisius will split its roster to take part in two separate events Sept. 14. A selection of Griffs will travel to South Bend, Ind., on that day to take part in the National Catholic Championships, which are hosted by Notre Dame. Last year, the Canisius men placed fifth and the women's team took seventh, marking the fifth-straight year where both Canisius programs placed in the top-10 at the National Catholic Championships. Canisius will also send runners to the UB Stampede race on Sept. 14. That event will be held in Amherst, N.Y.Both teams will close out the month of September at the Paul Short Invitational, hosted by Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., Sept. 29. After a week off, the Griffs will return to Buffalo to host the Canisius Alumni Classic Oct. 13. That race will take place at Delaware Park, starting at noon. The Canisius Alumni Classic will be the Griffs' final tune-up before the programs head to the 2018 MAAC Cross Country Championships, which are set to be held Oct. 27. The Canisius men's team has finished in the top-five of the conference's championship race in each of the last seven years, while the women's team has placed among the conference's top-six teams in 11-straight years.The 2018 NCAA Northeast Regional Championship will be held Nov. 10 in Buffalo and the season will conclude Nov. 17 at the ECAC/IC4A Championship in Bronx, N.Y.